A brand's purpose and values have become increasingly important to both consumers and B2B customers. But this importance has led to many brands attaching themselves inauthentically just for the purposes of good press.

Our guest, Greg Ricciardi, President and CEO of creative brand agency 20nine, calls this phenomenon "purposewashing", and believes it's a major problem for CMOs and the brands they govern.

Greg joined us to examine examples of brands that are purpose-driven in the right way, and the ones that are doing it wrong.

Listen to the episode and more

Key talking points

  • Defining "purposewashing" and why it's a problem.
  • Organizations that are doing purpose-driven branding right, and lessons to learn from them.
  • Examples of brands that are being inauthentic with their purpose, and the impact that can have on their audience.

About the guest

Greg Ricciardi is the Founder, President, and CEO of 20nine: a Purpose-First Creative Consultancy with offices in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Greg believes marketers have the most important job in the world. They have the potential to influence consumers’ mindsets, modify their behaviors and drive them to make decisions.

Greg founded 20nine in 2002 with the belief that every person in the agency must be not only client-facing but client advocates. They have had the opportunity to provide award-winning services to hundreds of world-renown brands such as Diageo, PointRoll, Accenture, Aramark, FreedomPay, Pet60, Cayman Jack Margarita, Miller/Coors, MediaMath, Zippo, Frito Lay, and Citi, just to name a few. His focus is on helping brands disrupt markets and create emotional connections with the consumer through powerful brand storytelling & innovation. He helps companies of all shapes and sizes work out their why and get it to thrive in the wild.

Join the conversation

What did you think about this episode? Let us know, contact hello@cmoalliance.io, speak to us on our socials, or get involved with the discussion on the CMO Alliance Community Slack channel.

Got something to say on one of our podcasts, or know someone who would be a great guest? Get in touch, contact contribute@cmoalliance.io

For more insights on what it means to build a modern brand as a CMO, don't miss the CMO Summit on November 10th. Get your ticket now.